African Stars

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Africans who shined during Olympic Games PDF Print E-mail

Who doesn’t remember the most famous Athlete in the history of Olympism? In 1960 and 1964, Bikila Abebe, a small soldier of the Ethiopian Monarch stunned the whole world by running barefooted and winning the Olympic Marathon, an unprecedented record that is still to be broken.

Kipchoge Keino from Kenya, « the East African Express », also marked the history of the world middle-distance race with his prowesses and exceptional athletic strides during the Mexico and Munich Olympic Games…
There are many of them – Kiprugut, Gammoudi, Wolde, Akibua, Yfter « the athlete with an unknown age », Aouita, El Moutawakel, the first Arab and African Woman to have won an Olympic medal, Rono, Ereng, Boulmerka, Ngugi, Tanui, Skah, Morceli, Fredericks, Gebreselassie - to have thrilled the world and contributed to the identity of the African.

As a matter of fact, during the Atlanta Games in 1996,Nigeria spearheaded by an unbridled Nwanko Kanu,won the Gold Medal after an outstanding performance throughout the tournament, eliminating Ronaldo’s Brazil in the semi-finals, and surprisingly beating Herman Crespo’s Argentina in the finals by 3 goals to 2. Four years later, at the Sydney Olympic Games finals (in front of more than 100,000 spectators!) the “Indomitable Lions” of Camerooun defeating the Spanish team is still a fresh memory.If Athletics, the mother of all sports and the first Olympic discipline contributed to make Africa’s flag fly high, boxing and football have also enabled the continent to shine.
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Last News

08/24/2008
*Athletics (Men), marathon : 3 medals for Africa! The Kenyan Samuel Kamau Wansiru wins in 2:06:32. Morocco's Jaouad Gharib takes the silver medal in 2:07:16 and Ethiopia'sTsegay Kebede the bronze in 2:10:00.

 

08/23/2008
*Synchronized swimming (women) : The Egyptian team is ranked 7th in the final of team event free routine.
*Athletics (Men), 5000m, final : Bekele wins a new Gold medal! Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) wins the race in 12:57.82, it's a new Olympic Record. Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) is 2nd and Cheruiyot Edwin Soi (KEN) is 3rd. The first 6 of the race are African.
*Athletics (Women), 1500m, final : One more medal for Kenya! Jebet Nancy Langat (KEN) wins the race in a great sprint (4:00.23).
*Athletics (Men), 800m, final : 3 medals for Africa! Wilfred Bungei (KEN) wins gold medal (1:44.55), Ismail Ahmed Ismail (SUD) gets silver (1:44.70) and Alfred Kirwa Yeg (KEN) wins bronze (1:44.82). It's the first medal for Sudan!
*Football (Men), final : The Nigeria lost in the final against Argentina 1-0. Nigeria wins the silver medal !
*Taekwondo (Men), +80kg : The Malian and World Champion, Daba Modibo Keita won his first fight against the French Borot. Score : 6-5.

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